How to Stretch Ground Beef

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If you’re trying to cut your food budget, one of the ways to save, is on meat. Meat tends to take up the biggest portion of our food budget, so it only makes sense to start there. It would be great if we could use coupons to make these cuts, but meat coupons are incredibly rare.

There are a few ways that you can begin cutting your meat costs. The first, try cutting back on portion sizes, we tend to eat more than what is recommended, so we end up buying more. Another way is to track sales and stock up when meat is at its lowest price point. You can also have a meatless meal once or twice a week.

One of the things that I do to cut my meat costs is to buy really cheap ground beef (73%27%) and remove the fat. Once the fat is removed I’ll add fillers to stretch the ground beef and my budget.

If you’ve never tried adding fillers to ground beef, I suggest starting with just a quarter cup of filler to a pound of ground beef, you can gradually add more as your family becomes used to it. I think you’ll be really surprised, it’s barely noticeable, the filler tends to take on the taste and texture of the ground beef. The goal with adding fillers is to cut your ground beef costs in half. Eventually you’ll get to the point where you’ll be using one part ground beef to one part filler and won’t really notice the difference.

There are so many different fillers that you can choose from, I only use about three or four different ones. I chose fillers that work well with the recipes that I serve on a regular basis, so what works for me might not work for you. My favorite though, is the mirepoix filler, not only does it add a nice flavor to the meat it’s also my way of sneaking vegetables into my families diet.If you still aren’t convinced about adding fillers to your ground beef maybe this will help, it’s a lot healthier for you! Cutting your meat consumption and replacing it with vegetables or other foods that are high in nutritional value is a win-win for your budget as well as your health.

My favorite fillers to use are:

Rice
- I prefer to use brown rice, because it’s a healthier option and it’s less noticeable when mixed with the ground beef.
- I use this in casseroles, skillet dishes, soups, meatloaf and meatballs
Beans (pinto, black, kidney, etc.)
- The beans can either be whole or mashed.
- I use this in tacos, burritos, soups and as a salad topping.
Mirepoix (carrots, onions & celery)
- Puree’ the vegetables and cook them with the ground beef.
- I use this in casseroles, skillet dishes, soups, meatloaves, meatballs and in hamburgers.
Quinoa (this is my newest addition)
- Add cooked quinoa to cooked ground beef.
- I use this in casseroles, skillet dishes, soups, meatloaves and meatballs.

Other filler options:

Lentils
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Vegetables (bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, etc)
Barley
Cracker Crumbs
Bread Crumbs
Steel cut oats
Bran Cereal
Kasha
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)

Once you’ve added the fillers to your ground beef, you can either use it right away or freeze it. I prefer preparing huge quantities and freezing it in 2 cup portions. I find that preparing it ahead of time makes mealtime a lot easier, especially during the week when I don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.What things do you do to cut your meat costs?

Slow Cooker
Pinto Beans

Hamburger &
Hot Dog Buns

Homemade
Enchilada Sauce

Homemade
French Fries

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